NANOSTRUCTURING OF LASER-DEPOSITED TI FILMS BY SELF-LIMITED OXIDATION

Local laser-induced oxidation of thin titanium films on glass is shown to be self-limiting due to a decrease in the absorptivity during the reaction. Taking advantage of this confinement, stable writing of tran sparent oxide line structures narrower than the diffraction-limited fo cused spot of a continuous wave Ar ion laser (500 nm) has been accompl ished. The greatest optical contrast (1:10) with the highest resolutio n down to 165 nm was observed if the film thickness is of the order of the light absorption length in the metal.